Method of and machine for attaching heels to shoes



June 16, 1942. F. L. BRANDT 2,286,195

METHOD OF AND MACHINE FOR ATTACHING HEELS TO SHOES Filed Sept; 21, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l June 16, 1942. mm -r 2,286,195

METHOD OF AND MACHINE FOR ATTACHIN? HEELS To SHOES Filed Sept. 21, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2' A/l/EN-TUQ l I Q\ Patented June 16, 1942 i METHOD OF AND MACHINE FOR ATTACHING HEELS TO SHOES Francis L. Brandt, Marblehead, Mass., assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Flemington, N. .17., a corporation of New Jersey Application September 21, 1940, Serial No. 357,785

Claims.

This invention relates to the attachment of heels to shoes, it involving a method and an apparatus for this purpose.

A well known practice in heel-attaching, by driving fastenings from within a shoe through its heel-seat into an applied heel, is to effect a preliminary attachment, usually by a single fastening, either temporary or permanent and with an interposed adhesive, this being customarily followed by the driving of the usual set of nails It is an object of my invention to provide for the insertion of a permanent fastening for this purpose, in a manner convenient for the operator and readily applicable to work differing in character.

To this end, a feature of the invention may be found in a method of attaching a heel to a lasted shoe, the last having a passage through its cone and in which is a shoulder. The lasted shoe is supported upon a tubular spindle, with the end of which the last-shoulder contacts; a heel placed upon the heel-seat of the spindled shoe; pressure applied to hold the work upon the spindle; and a fastening inserted in the thus clamped work through the spindle. In following this method, the work may be manipulated readily by the operator; the character of the attachment thus obtained is independent of the heights of the last-cones; and the clamping pressure upon the work cannot cause the insole to be indented by the spindle-end. The head of the fastening may be sunk in the insole to a degree predetermined by the relation of the driver-advance to the last-shoulder; and, by limiting to a predetermined amount the force utilized to insert the fastening, danger of excessive depth of driving is eliminated under all conditions.

Another feature of the invention has to do with a machine by which heels may be attached. This machine has a work-supporting spindle adapted to enter the passage of a last, arranged as above indicated; a pressure member co-operating with the support to force together the last-plate and spindle; and a fastening-driver mounted to reciprocate in the spindle through the last-plateopening. There is also means for limiting the force applied by the driver to the fastening. There may be interchangeably mounted in the machine either an inserting mechanism provided with the last-entering spindle, or such a mechanism provided with a jack arranged to receive the counter-portion of a shoe, so off-the-last work may be done as well as that which is on the last.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating a particular embodiment of my invention,

Fig. 1 shows, in broken side elevation, the more relevant portions of a heel-attaching machine, with the support for work mounted upon a last and in receiving position;

Fig. 2 is a broken front elevation of the support for the lasted Work;

Fig. 3, a central vertical section, with the worksupport in its fastening-inserting relation; and

Fig. 4, a perspective View of a support for offthe-last work.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings, there appears the upper portion of a heel-attaching machine, which, in its general arrangement and manner of operation, may be as disclosed in Letters Patent of the United States No. 2,033,158, Standish, March 10, 1936. In this, there is drawn down, first under the influence of an operator-actuated treadle and then under the power of the machine, a heel-abutment or pressure device P by which the work is clamped for operation upon it. This abutment is carried by spaced side-rods I0, l0 guided for vertical reciprocation in theframe, a fragment of which may be seen at I2. In the frame below the abutment, a driver-actuating member 13 reciprocates, it being held normally down by an expansionspring I l. The abutment and actuating member co-operate with a work-support W mounted upon the cap 15 of the frame, and with which support this invention is more closely concerned.

Formed upon the cap 15 are spaced horizontal ways It which receive and furnish an attaching seat for the complementally shaped portion of a lower section 18 of the support W. This section may be separably held in operating position beneath the abutment P by a spring-plunger 20 movable vertically through the cap. Upon the upper surface of the section I8 is a lug 22, having a horizontal bore extending transversely of the machine, and in which bore a pin 24 is secured by ascrew 26. At opposite sides of the lug, the pin passes through spaced perforated lugs 28 depending from the underside of an upper support-section 30, from which rises a tubular work-supporting spindle 32, secured in an opening through the section by an upper flange 34 upon the spindle and a lower nut 36 threaded upon said spindle. The spindle is held in its vertical active or operating position beneath the abutment P (Fig. 3), by contact of opposed surfaces 38, 38 upon the two sections. It may be swung forward into work-receiving position (Fig. 1), movement in this direction being limited by the engagement of surfaces 49, 49 upon the two sections 39 and I8. It is to be noted that, because of the location of the axis of the pivot-pin 24 considerably below the plane in which the surfaces 38, 38 meet, the path of the upper extremity of the spindle 32 approaches closely to the horizontal. Consequently, when the spindle is swung out for the application of a shoe or its removal, relatively little clearance is required between the work and the abutment P. 7

Guided to reciprocate in the passage through the spindle 32 is a fastening-driver 42, downward movement of which may be limited by contact-shoulders at 44 upon the driver and the wall of the passage. A reduced portion 46 of the driver projects below the spindle, to'be engaged by a screw 48 carried upon the actuating member l3. By adjustment of the screw, the distance, which the upper end of the driver moves outside the spindle-passage, may be varied, and, therefore, the depth to which the head of a fastening upon the driver may be sunk in work supported upon the spindle. Since the operator might so adjust the screw that the depth of insertion would be too great, and the head of the fastening driven too deeply into the work, I provide means whereby the driving force exerted may be limited. In the top of the member [3 is a cylindrical depression, into which is threaded a flanged sleeve 50. Freely movable in this sleeve is a tubular internally t threaded plunger 52, urged upwardly by an expansion-spring 54, seated in the depression and acting upon a flange 56 about the plunger. The flange, by contact with the bottom of the sleeve 50, limits the upward movement of the plunger.

spring iseXceeded. Then, said spring will yield so the driving force is limited. Consequently, regardless of errors in the driver-setting, the head of the fastening will not be forced through the insole of a spindled shoe Because the yield of the spring G will prevent the further advance of the fastening after a-definite resistance is encountered, it may be possible to omit the screw '48, and by choosing a spring suitable to the work,

it will be unnecessary to employ the adjusting sleeve 59.

In carrying out the method of this invention, a shoe S, to which a heel H is to be attached, is upon a last L. In this last is a passage through the rear portion or cone, this passage preferably having a metal bushing a extending from the last-crown to the metal last-plate b, the inside diameter of the bushing being such as to freely admit the spindle 32 of the support W. The heelseat-opening of the last-passage'is-surrounded by a shoulder 0, preferably furnished by an extension ofthe last-plate over the passage-opening. The reduced opening in'the last-plate, which this shoulder surrounds, has a diameter which will permit the driver 42 to pass. With the upper support-section and spindle inclined forwardly about the'pivot 24, the operator drops a fastening, for example a screw-nail N, head down into actuating member l3.

with the lower extremity 4% of the driver, which the spindle-passage, it resting upon the upper end of the driver. He then applies to the spindle the last with its shoe having a heel positioned upon the heel-seat, the last-shoulder c engaging the spindle-end; and returns the spindle to the operating position. The positioned work is clamped by causing the descent of the pressure device P, first by actuation of the machinetreadle, and then under the power of the machine, the latter effecting the reciprocation of the The screw 48 contacts is now in vertical registration with it, raising said driver to insert the fastening N to a depth determined by the setting of the contact-screw or the degreeof initial compression of the spring 54. The clamping pressure upon the Work is taken Wholly by the shoulder c of the last-plate, so there can be no mutilation of the insole by being forced against the spindle-end. When the heights of the last-cones change, the relation of the heel-seat-material of the shoe to the driverend is undisturbed, because of the predetermined advanced relation of said end to the last-shoulder through the passage-opening, so no adjustment is required to insure the correct depth of insertion of the fastening. At the completion of the attaching operation, the upper portion of the support is again swung out for the removal of the shoe with its attached heel and for the application of another shoe.

To allow shoes ofi-the-last to be operated upon, the support to of Fig. 4 may be utilized. The two sections 18 and 3!) may be as before, the supports W and to being interchangeable by each having 'complemental portions seated in the ways [6 of the frame-cap t5. Insteadof the spindle 32 upon the section there is; a tubular post-G9 which receives the driver 42. The upper end of this'post has a jack 62 formed to enter and support the counter-portion of a shoes, with the insole resting upon its upper surface 64. 'Ihe-driver-passage in the post is continued through the surface 54, this corresponding to the upper extremity of the spindle 32. An adjustable gage 66 may be associated with the jack, to determine the point upon the insole of the supported-shoe at which the attaching nail'will be inserted. Themeans for actuating the driver may be as already described,and the manner of manipulation-of the support and work may be similar. There are obtained the advantages as to depth of insertion of a fastening-freedom from injury to the insole, and the minimum requirement for clearance between thesu'pport and the pressure device P.

Having described my invention, what I'claimas new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. The method of attaching a heel to-a shoe, which consists in associating a shoe and a'l'a'st having a passage of two different diameters through its cone to form a shoulder, supporting the lasted "shoe on a tubular spindle with the end thereof engaging said -shoulder, placing a heel upon the heel-seat-of 'the'spindled shoe, applying pressure tothework -toward the spindle on which the lasted shoe is supportedto clamp the heel in position, and inserting a fastening through the supporting spindle and the heel-seat of the shoe into the heelw'hile so clamped.

2. The method 'of attaching a'heel 'to' a shoe, said shoe containing a last which has a passage through its cone extending to a shoulder at "the heel-seat and surrounding a 'passage-openi'ng'of reduced diameter, which consists in supporting the lasted shoe upon a tubular spindle containing a reciprocatory driver and with the end of which spindle the shoulder contacts, the driver supporting a fastening, placing a heel upon the heel-seat of the spindled shoe, applying pressure to the heel to hold the work upon the spindle, actuating the driver to insert a fastening into the work, and limiting to a predetermined amount the force applied by the driver to the fastening.

3. The method of attaching a heel to a shoe, said shoe containing a last which has a passage through its cone extending to a shoulder at the heel-seat and surrounding a passage-opening of reduced diameter, which consists in supporting the lasted shoe upon a tubular spindle containing a reciprocatory driver and with the end of which spindle the shoulder contacts, the driver supporting a fastening, placing a heel upon the heel-seat of the spindled shoe, applying pressure to the heel to hold the work upon the spindle, inserting the fastening in the work by advancing the driver into a predetermined relation to the last-shoulder, and limiting to a predetermined amount the force applied by the driver to the fastening.

4. In a machine for attaching a heel to a lasted shoe, a spindle arranged to enter a passage extending through the cone of a last to a last-plate in which is an opening of less diameter than the last-passage, a pressure member co-operating with the support to force together the last-plate and spindle. a fastening-driver mounted to reciprocate in the spindle into the last-plate-opening, a reciprocatory member by which the driver is actuated, and means carried by the actuating member for limiting the force applied by the driver to the fastening.

5. The combination with a tubular spindle arranged to enter a last-passage, of a driver movable in the spindle, a reciprocatory actuating member for the driver, a plunger movable upon the actuating member, and a spring urging the plunger toward the driver.

6. The combination with a tubular spindle arranged to enter a last-passage, of a driver movable in the spindle, a reciprocatory actuating member for the driver, a plunger movable upon the actuating member, a spring urging the plunger toward the driver, and means arranged to vary the initial resistance of the spring.

7. The combination with a tubular spindle arranged to enter a last-passage, of a driver movable in the spindle, a reciprocatory actuating member for the driver, a plunger yieldable upon the actuating member, and a member variable in position upon the plunger and arranged to contact with the driver.

8. The combination with a tubular spindle arranged to enter a last-passage, of a driver movable in the spindle, a reciprocatory actuating member for the driver provided with a depression, a sleeve threaded into the depression, a plunger movable in the sleeve and acting upon the driver, and a spring in the depression against which the plunger may yield.

9. The combination with a tubular spindle arranged to enter a last-passage, of a driver movable in the spindle, a reciprocatory actuating member for the driver provided with a depression, a sleeve threaded into the depression, a plunger movable in the sleeve and acting upon the driver, a spring in the depression against which the plunger may yield, and a screw threaded into the plunger and arranged to contact with the driver.

10. In a heel-attaching machine, a frame, a heel-abutment carried by the frame, and a reciprocator-y actuating member movable in the frame, said frame having a portion located in operative relation to the actuating member and providing an attaching seat, said attaching seat having ways adapted to receive and mount alternatively complementally shaped portions of a, fastening-inserting mechanism provided with a tubular spindle containing a fastening-driver movable by said actuating member and arranged to enter a passage in a last within a shoe, or complementally shaped portions of a fastening-inserting mechanism having a jack arranged to receive the counter-portion of a shoe and provided with a passage in which is a fastening-driver movable by the actuating member.

RANCIS L. BRANDT. 

